Hull City missed a chance to all but guarantee promotion to the Premier League tonight in a lifeless encounter against relegated Bristol City.
A 0-0 draw at the KC Stadium means the Tigers remain favourites to finish second in the Championship.
Steve Bruce's side are now seven points clear of Watford, who have nine points left to play for.
The Hornets must secure at least a point against Blackburn tomorrow to stay in the race for automatic promotion.
But tonight's result means Gianfranco Zola's team have an opportunity to put the pressure back on City. They play twice before the Tigers travel to Barnsley and two wins would cut the deficit to just a point.
Such a scenario would leave City needing to beat either Barnsley or Cardiff, at home, to guarantee a return to the top flight.
On a frustrating evening at the KC, the Tigers rarely threatened the Championship's whipping boys.
City had to wait until the final minute for their best chance when David Meyler's shot was kept out by Tom Heaton.
Bruce made two changes from the side beaten 1-0 by Wolves in midweek.
Ahmed Fathi dropped to the bench, Robert Koren missed out with a calf injury, while Matty Fryatt started his first league game of the season after recovering from an Achilles injury. Egyptian striker Gedo also returned upfront.
Sean O'Driscoll's men abandoned their usual 4-4-2 to match City's 3-5-2, with Richard Foster replacing Paul Anderson.
With Bristol sitting deep, the Tigers struggled to create chances in the final third.
It took 24 minutes for the first meaningful shot on goal. Robbie Brady made room 25 yards out, but his effort fizzed just wide of Heaton's near post.
The Tigers had an appeal for a penalty appeal turned down after 33 minutes when Fryatt and Gedo combined for the first time. The Egyptian, in on goal, went down as he was outmuscled by Matthew Bates.
It was a rare moment of excitement for a quiet KC crowd, as City struggled to get their passing game going.
After 38 minutes, Gedo combined with Stephen Quinn whose accurate cross found the head of the onrushing George Boyd, but he headed over from 12 yards.
That was as good as it got in a dull opening 45 minutes.
Six minutes into the second period, David Stockdale was tested for the first time by Steven Davies' low cross and although the on-loan Fulham man spilt the ball, no-one in red was on hand to tap home.
For City, the start of the second-half replicated the first and with Boyd - their main creative force - dropping deeper and deeper, the front two saw little of the ball.
The visitors grew in confidence on the counter attack.
Bruce needed to shake things up and with 25 minutes to go he brought on Jay Simpson and Nick Proschwitz for Gedo and the fading Fryatt.
Sam Baldock had Stockdale scrambling with a low drive after 70 minutes, with the stopper thankful the effort ended up wide.
City finally started to show some urgency and thought they should have had a penalty when Quinn was bundled over in the box after 81 minutes.
The home fans tried to spur their side on, but the visitors held firm and will feel they deserved a bit of luck late on when Heaton kept out a Meyler shot that looked bound for the back of the net.
